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Save a Word: Manipulandum

For those unfamiliar, the fantastic meme runs thus: they put out a theme, you pick a word you want to save from extinction, and feature your word in a vignette that fits their theme. And, you know, link back to them, while they link out to the blogs that join them. It’s a jolly time.

This week, I follow Sy, the main character of Ever the Actor, in one of the many dastardly exploits he got up to between his prologue and the opening chapter of his novel.

This week’s theme is: Lace SocksMy word is: manipulandumn. – something that is to be manipulated

Syawn disentangled himself with care and slipped quietly from the bed of the Duke’s daughter. Moving with all the caution of a thief in the night–for such caution was paramount when one indeed was–he inventoried her belongings as swiftly as possible, examining and restoring them as though they’d never been disturbed.

Whenever there was a pause in her soft and wheezing snores, he held his breath and watched her curvaceous form for signs of waking, ever ready to dart towards the privy to act an alibi. She slept on soundly. As Sy’s hands, large but deft, glided over perfumes and seals, jeweled pins and jumbled parchment and lace socks, he drew up an chart in his head: valuables, lesser valuables, items quickly missed, items unlikely to be missed soon, and potentially sensitive information.

His scouting ended, he climbed back under the covers and slid back against his young manipulandum. There was much to be gained from bedding a noblewoman, and like any experienced player of court games, Sy knew that the pocketing of immediate physical wealth was low on the list and last on the agenda.